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Recent Internal Frame Backpack Reviews

Mile High Mountaineering Salute 34

One of the very best packs I've used. Carries and distributes loads well, and is made with durable materials. I can use this pack for day hikes to overnight stays. I tend to pack pretty lightweight as far as my tent and other gear is concerned so this backpack is perfect for my needs. Highly recommended for just about anyone looking for a well thought out, useful pack. Fit - I am a little over 5'10" with a waist between 33" and 34". I have a medium length torso and the pack fits very well. Easy… Full review

Osprey Exos 58

This is a great all-around backpack if you don't overload it. With less than 35lbs of well-chosen gear, it works for both weekend and long haul trips, and you can manage 40lbs for a couple of days. I'm a 5'7", 145 pound, 63-year-old woman who works in the backcountry in summer, usually for 6-8 days at a time. My pack has to be light enough to let me move quickly, but big enough to carry my personal and work gear. I can't carry the 55 pound loads that I did when I was younger. After a year of frequent… Full review

ULA Equipment Ohm 2.0

Lightweight, yet plenty of room for gear. Designed for comfort and durability. Unusual and useful ability to carry water bottles on shoulder straps. Exceptional hipbelt support and comfort. The ULA Ohm 2.0 is a smaller pack in the ULA line, yet has the hipbelt of some of the larger models allowing it to carry substantial weights. The ULA hipbelts are top-of-the-line for comfort given their light weight. The Ohm 2.0 has provided plenty of space for 4-day backpacks for me with room to spare. Its… Full review

REI New Star

I highly recommend this pack if you can find one used in good shape. Big enough for a long trip, not so big it isn't practical for a weekend. Well made and long lasting (mine finally quit after 19 years and 800+ miles). I bought my New Star two years used in 1997. It had seen some trail time then. Over the next 18 years, I added over 700 miles of use to it from there. The hip strap finally broke (actually only the plastic insert broke, the nylon and padding was OK; I finished two days and 16 miles… Full review

REI Great Star

Very large pack with lots of size adjustment and all the basic features you want. Well made and long lasting. Prone to being under filled and causing gear/load to shift or sit oddly, especially on shorter hikes. Great for big/tall persons or longer trips. Just inherited my Great Star from my father after my New Star finally gave up (19 years and over 800 miles on it). My dad bought the pack new in 1998 and it has about 400 miles on it from him. I can and have comfortably carried about 80 lbs of… Full review

Osprey Atmos 65 AG

The revised Osprey Atmos AG 65 is a well-made pack that fixes many of the problems with previous models; however, the new edition of the pack is much heavier than earlier models. If the increased weight does not concern you then you will like the changes. All in all this is a robust pack that may no longer fit the needs of lightweight backpackers. I tried a size large pack; I weighed it at the local REI, and it weighed 5 pounds 4 ounces. Last year's model weighed 3 pounds 12 ounces on the same scale… Full review

Dana Design Astralplane Overkill

The Dana Astralplane Overkill is the most durable, comfortable, indestructible load-hauler ever created. Best loadhauler ever made. Indestructible. Bought mine in early '90's and have hiked with it on at least 50 trips and it looks almost brand new. Mine is the Astralplane Overkill, so it is pretty heavy, but I've packed 80 lbs in it and it still fits like a hug. If you can find one on ebay, buy it — they are legendary. The guy who made them now builds for Mystery Ranch and his new version… Full review

GoLite Men's Jam2

Back in May of 2010 was looking for a daypack and the clerk at the store told me about this pack. At the time this was a leftover from 2008 -2009. Didn't hesitate to grab this as I know a lot of people who have this brand of pack and of course the price! Pack was a Large version. The pack serves double duty as it's my padding with my 3/4 self-inflating sleeping pad, which is also part of the pack's frame! Fits great and works with all my lightweight gear as my Base is at 7 lb. Max load is… Full review

ZPacks Arc Blast

This is a great UL pack that is smartly designed, comfortable within its load limits, customizable, and about as light as you will find in a framed midsized backpack. Cuben and carbon fiber construction keep the weight at around one pound. This is a review of the Zpacks Arc Blast backpack. I purchased one in late Spring 2014 and have had the opportunity to put a couple hundred miles on it by now. I am not associated with Zpacks in any way. This is probably the lightest framed mid-size backpack on… Full review